Ukraine Launches Crackdown on Separatists

Ukrainian troops have launched their first assault against pro-Russian gunmen in the east of the country. Authorities in Kyiv describe it as an “anti-terror” operation. The White House has praised Ukraine for saying it will take a measured approach, but Russia labeled the action "unconstitutional." Henry Ridgwell reports from the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian airborne troops landed in a town in the east of the country on Tuesday apparently at the start of an “anti-terrorist operation” to root out pro-Russian separatists - but they pulled back into base after meeting a hostile reception from local civilians.

The town of Kramatorsk is one of 10 localities in Ukraine's Russian-speaking east where separatist rebellions have broken out. The move suggested Ukraine's authorities were going ahead with a plan for a military crackdown to end the unrest which began 10 days ago.

Separately, the state security service announced a similar operation was under way in the town of Slovyansk, about 20 km (13 miles) from Kramatorsk, where pro-Russia militants are occupying state buildings to push their demands for referendums on the status of Ukraine's eastern regions.

Exercising restraint

Despite warnings issued on Sunday by Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov of a “full-scale operation” against separatists, the offensive by Ukrainian forces is seen as moderate. Even Turchynov himself toned down his rhetoric.

Some observers say Kyiv is exercising restraint in anticipation of four-way talks on the crisis to be held on Thursday in Geneva.

Aside from Ukraine and Russia, the meeting will include representatives from the U.S. and EU.

Moscow has called on Kyiv not to use force against the separatists in the run-up to the talks.

The standoff has raised fears in the West and in Kyiv that Russia might intervene militarily to “protect” Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine, following its annexation of Crimea last month in response to the overthrow of Moscow-backed president Viktor Yanukovych, following months of protests.

US reaction

The White House said on Tuesday Ukraine's actions against pro-Russian militiamen in the country's eastern region are called for because of the threat to law and order in the country.

"The Ukrainian government has the responsibility to provide law and order and these provocations in eastern Ukraine are creating a situation in which the government has to respond,'' White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a briefing.

The United States is "seriously considering'' new sanctions against Russia, but is not considering providing lethal aid to Ukraine, he said.

Separately, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday it anticipates more Ukraine-related sanctions on Russia but suggested no action was likely before four-way talks in Geneva this Thursday.

No UN peacekeepers

Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was quoted as saying on Tuesday that now was not the right moment for any United Nations peacekeeping troops to be sent to Ukraine.

”At this moment, it doesn't seem very practical to send troops,” Ban during a visit to Mexico told newspaper Reforma, according to the Spanish text of an interview.

Ban said that any decision to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine would need to be agreed by the U.N. Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member.

”Unless we have a clear mandate and authorization from the Security Council, I can't take any action,” Ban said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin told Ban that the United Nations and the international community should condemn the use of force by Ukrainian authorities in eastern Ukraine.

UN report

A United Nations report on Tuesday disputed Moscow's claims that Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine were seriously threatened, including those in Crimea which Russia annexed last month following a referendum the West considered staged.

"Although there were some attacks against the ethnic Russian community, these were neither systematic nor widespread," said the report by the U.N. human rights office.

Russia called the report one-sided, politicized and apparently fabricated.

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen accused Moscow of involvement in the rebellions. "It is very clear that Russia's hand is deeply engaged in this," he told reporters.

Russia's stance

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that Moscow was stirring up the separatists in the east and southeast as a possible prelude to repeating steps taken in Crimea.

"Ukraine is spreading lies that Russia is behind the actions in the southeast," Lavrov said on a visit to China.

Moscow has demanded constitutional change in Ukraine to give more powers to Russian-speaking areas, where most of the country's heavy industry lies, while the rebels have demanded Crimean-style referendums on secession in their regions.

Kyiv opposes anything that might lead to the dismemberment of the country. But in an attempt to undercut the rebels' demands, Turchynov has held out the prospect of a nationwide referendum on the future shape of the Ukrainian state.

Reverse flows

The crisis has also prompted fears that Moscow might turn off gas supplies to Kyiv, disrupting flows to the European Union.

Russian exporter Gazprom promised it would remain a reliable supplier to the EU, but German energy company RWE began deliveries to Ukraine on Tuesday - reversing the usual east-west flow in one central European pipeline.

Central Europe's pipeline network is designed to carry Russian gas westwards. But Polish operator Gaz-System said it had reversed the flow to send back 4 million cubic meters per day, the equivalent of 1.5 billion annually - a modest volume compared with Ukraine's need for more than 50 billion.

Moscow has nearly doubled the price it charges Kyiv this year, and President Putin has threatened to halt supplies if Kyiv does not repay more than $2 billion it owes to Gazprom.

Putin also has warned EU leaders that this could disrupt their supplies that flow across Ukraine.

Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz said it was ready to pay in full for imported gas from Russia at $268.5 per 1,000 cubic meters, rather than the $485 Moscow has demanded, which is more than it charges rich Western countries for its gas.

A pro-Russia protester breaks a piece of stone at a barricade outside a regional government building in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

A female member of a "Maidan" self-defense unit stands guard in front of the Ukrainian parliament building in Kyiv, April 15, 2014.

Ukrainian soldiers stand near amored personnel carriers that fly a Ukrainian flag, as the Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, eastern Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

People stand at a barricade at the regional administration building that Moscow loyalists had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

Ukranian troops stand guard at a checkpoint near the city of Izyum in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

A Ukrainian soldier stands guard at a checkpoint near the city of Barvenkovo in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

Members of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry walk past an MI-8 military helicopter and armored personnel carriers at a checkpoint near the town of Izyum, eastern Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

Ukraine's energy minister, Yuri Prodan (right), and Slovakia's economy minister, Tomas Malatinsky (2nd left), attend a meeting at a delivery station of pipeline operator Eustream in the eastern Slovak town of Velke Kapusany, near the border with Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

Pipelines are seen at a gas border delivery station of pipeline operator Eustream in the eastern Slovak town of Velke Kapusany, near the border with Ukraine, April 15, 2014.

Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko, who helped lead the protests that drove pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych from office, urged Turchynov to send Ukrainian armed forces to the region to drive out the separatists.

"Infiltrators and hired people are not the people of Ukraine. Our dialogue with them must be short," he insisted. "That's what people in Donbas, Lugansk, Kharkiv, who ask about protection, are expecting from us. People, who came to the parliament today and are standing there right now, demand mobilization to protect their state.''

Moscow denies involvement

Moscow denies claims of Russian agents' involvement in the protests as "speculations based on unreliable information.'' Putin said the protests vented public anger about the Ukrainian government's reluctance to recognize the interests of Russian speakers in the east.

Moscow accuses Kyiv of provoking the crisis by ignoring the rights of citizens who use Russian as their first language, and has promised to protect them from attack. It also has highlighted the presence of far-right nationalists among Kyiv's new rulers.

Lavrov had said Moscow will withdraw from an emergency international summit scheduled for Thursday in Geneva if Kyiv uses force in eastern Ukraine.

"Ukraine is spreading lies that Russia is behind the actions in the southeast. This is a total lie that supposes that those residents there are completely incapable of protesting of their own will,'' Lavrov said on a visit to China.

Lavrov called on Kyiv to hold back before a meeting between Russia, the European Union, the United States, and Ukraine planned for Geneva on Thursday. "You can't send in tanks and at the same time hold talks,'' he said. "The use of force would sabotage the opportunity offered by the four-party negotiations in Geneva.''

Moscow says it wants constitutional change in Ukraine to give more powers to Russian-speaking areas, where most of the country's heavy industry lies, while the secessionists have demanded Crimean-style referendums in their regions.

Kyiv opposes anything that might lead to the dismemberment of the country. But in an attempt to undercut the rebels' demands, Turchynov has held out the prospect of a nationwide referendum on the future shape of the Ukrainian state.

Lavrov said Kyiv's apparent willingness to "resolve through negotiations all the problems relating to the legal demands of the inhabitants of the south-east regions of Ukraine, is certainly a step in the right direction, albeit very belated''.

NATO chief, Britain's Hague accuse Russia

Russia is deeply involved in the crisis in eastern Ukraine where pro-Moscow separatists have seized control of a number of government buildings, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Tuesday.

The frank remarks from the head of the western military alliance underline rising tensions with Moscow, which says it is not involved in the armed pro-Russian protests in eastern Ukraine. Asked if he had seen evidence of Russian involvement in events in eastern Ukraine, Rasmussen told reporters: "We never... comment on intelligence, but I think from what is visible, it is very clear that Russia's hand is deeply engaged in this." Relations between NATO and Russia have turned icy since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last month.

NATO, accusing Russia of massing forces on Ukraine's border, also has suspended cooperation with Moscow. Rasmussen, in Luxembourg for talks with European Union defense ministers, called on Russia to "de-escalate the crisis,to pull back its troops from Ukraine's borders, to stop destabilizing the situation in Ukraine and make clear that it doesn't support the violent actions of pro-Russian separatists. Russia should stop being part of the problem and start being part of the solution."

Rasmussen said NATO was not discussing any military involvement in non-NATO member Ukraine and was focusing on strengthening the defenses of eastern European allies nervous about Russia's intentions. NATO ambassadors are expected on Wednesday to discuss options put forward by military planners for reinforcing the defenses of eastern allies through exercises and temporary deployments of planes and ships sent by other allies. In his talks with EU defense ministers, Rasmussen said he would call for stronger cooperation between NATO and the EU, proposing that the military rapid reaction forces that both organizations maintain should train and exercise together more often.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary William Hague will say on Tuesday in a speech in London that Russia has deliberately pushed Ukraine "to the brink" in recent days and increased the risk of violent confrontation there.

Hague's comments were released in advance by his office: "In recent days Russia has deliberately pushed Ukraine to the brink, and created a still greater risk of violent confrontation."

UN Human Rights report

However, a United Nations report on Tuesday cast doubt on whether Russian-speakers were seriously threatened, including those in Crimea who voted to join Russia after Moscow forces had already seized control of the Black Sea peninsula.

"Although there were some attacks against the ethnic Russian community, these were neither systematic nor widespread,'' a report by the U.N. human rights office said.

The report, issued after two visits to Ukraine last month by Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Simonovic, cited "misinformed reports'' and "greatly exaggerated stories of harassment of ethnic Russians by Ukrainian nationalist extremists''.

These, it said, "had been systematically used to create a climate of fear and insecurity that reflected on support to integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation.''

Obama, Putinphone call

U.S. President Barack Obama warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Monday that Moscow will face further costs if its actions in Ukraine persist. He also urged the Russian leader to use his influence to persuade the demonstrators to leave the buildings they have seized.

"The president emphasized that all irregular forces in the country need to lay down their arms, and he urged President Putin to use his influence with these armed, pro-Russian groups to convince them to depart the buildings they have seized," the White House said in a statement.

Emergency talks planned

Top diplomats from Russia, the United States, Ukraine and the European Union are to hold emergency talks on the crisis April 17 in Geneva. White House officials say U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Kyiv April 22.

Meanwhile, U.S. officials signed a $1 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said the agreement demonstrates the United States' unwavering commitment to a stable Ukraine. Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Shlapak said his country is wrapping up talks with the IMF on a comprehensive economic reform program.

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Comment Sorting

Comments

by: Godwin from: Nigeria

April 16, 2014 8:08 AM

I think agreeing with the decision to crackdown on these protests is an agreement in error - to create another Syria in Ukraine. While the US and EU recognize the right of people to protest - one of which drove Viktor Yanukovych from power (then it looked good because it was in their favor) - other such protests are termed terrorism. Haba USA! My disappointment is that China has failed to give support to Russia in countering the West's dominance of world politics. A situation where everything is right only because they are pro-West and everything is wrong because they are pro-Russia does not augur well for world peace and harmony.

So far Russia has proved to be the only voice to save the world from this colonization even though some of so-called American allies in NATO and EU recognize the trouble they have launched themselves into by entering agreements in which they have no way of influencing the outcome, just as they do not know what they want with Ukraine where USA is busy brewing disintegration. Any attempt to crackdown on the protests in eastern Ukraine is an open invitation to a Syrian-type disturbance or civil war. It's up to the stooges calling the shots at Kiev to decide to accept a civil war or return the country to peace by following the path of reconciliation. Do not say nobody told you.

by: Alfredo G from: Orlando,FL

April 15, 2014 8:25 PM

We face a new kind of communism from Russia.

Only change the format, they are using democratic face but behind are the same communism.

by: xiaoxing

April 15, 2014 7:43 PM

It's pretty obvious to me. A couple month ago the US was blaming Ukraine then-government for using force against "protesters". And now they are calling "protesters" "separatists".

by: William Daviau from: Texas, USA

April 15, 2014 4:56 PM

Perhaps it would be better to discuss the challenges with Russia instead of issuing "warnings." So far, "warnings" are counter productive.

by: frdm4us

April 15, 2014 4:04 PM

Double Standards!!!

US and EU were strongly against using force against Maidan "peaceful protestors" who decorated themselves with swastika, used guns and Molotovs cocktails, occupied government buildings and put police officers on fire. Radical groups violently took over democratically elected government in a coup.

US and EU strongly support using force against pro Russia protestors in the Eastern Ukraine. Now US media calls them "terrorists". Double standards!

Why would Ukrainian listen to a coup illegal unconstitutional government who used extremists, nationalists, and Nazii to come to power?

People in Eastern Ukraine stand up to a coup government they did not elect. They want democracy and a chance to vote.

In Response

by: Jacob from: India

April 16, 2014 2:34 AM

The people of Ukraine are going to have an opportunity to vote next month to decide their future freely. It is precisely what Russia is afraid of: real democracy.

In Response

by: Hoang Hoa from: Vietnam

April 15, 2014 10:48 PM

You are completely right. The West is always curling their tongue according to their interests despite the truth

In Response

by: fredy barrera from: san salvador

April 15, 2014 10:08 PM

Some protest were peaceful and others are terrorist I think united state plays a dirtty game everybody in the world understand the situation and everybody can see thath the politics of united state is garbage call some protest peaceful demostrations and call others terrorist. Double moral that's why I hate united state

In Response

by: Tom Murphy from: Northern Virginia

April 15, 2014 9:40 PM

Double Talk!!! Russia sends in FSB agents to shoot people in the central square in Kiev and accuses the opposition of violence after Russian agents kill more than 100 people.

Russia creates a "referendum" on Crimea with trick choices in which nobody can vote to stay part of Ukraine while sending in Russian army troops without insigia to assure that the "referendum" voters only vote for Russia.the border

Russia promises that it will not try to take further territory from Ukraine while again sending in well armed FSB agents and Russian army units just over the border, shooting their way into police stations and seizing weapons and then protests loudly when the Ukraine government moves to restore order to police stations and government building while Russia is saying the recovery operation is "violence".

In Response

by: john from: usa

April 15, 2014 7:16 PM

you are correct. it is hard to believe obama is such a hypocrite and liar. i regret my votes for him.

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